On 8/22/06, Gregory Maxwell gmaxwell@gmail.com wrote:
Of course... That takes us back to the "then they well just operate in secret" argument.
I guess my counter is: We already have PR firms operating in secret. If we can't deal with secret POV pushing PR firms who can afford to learn the processes schmmoze our editors, then we've already lost.
That is unhelpful rhetoric. What does it mean to "have lost"? Wikipedia is not going to disappear tomorrow just because we have some PR in some articles. We can deal with secretive activities when we detect them; that is not a logical argument for not creating a framework where these organizations can achieve some of their aims (where they are legitimate and in line with our own) while not doing harm.
You can easily compare this to the struggle against sock puppets and trolls. Sure, we can "deal with" sock puppets and trolls when we detect them. That, again, is not an argument for not building policies and community structures where harmful behavior is neutralized in ways that do not lead to such disruption.